Konstantinopoli salata

This salad originated in Kiz Dervent, the village in Turkey where my parents-in-law were born. Back in the early days of the 20th century, when they were small children, the horseback journey to the capital, Konstantinopoli, was a rare excursion for most of the village people. In those days, few villagers had the opportunity or the means to venture outside of the village, especially the women, who, still to this day, hardly ever leave the house.

Clearly some brave soul did make the trip though, and on his return to the village enthused over the salad which he had eaten in the city. From then on, the village women referred to the dish as Constantinopole salad. It is a colourful combination of sweet, ripe summer vegetables, which have a wonderful smoky aroma as a result of cooking over charcoals. If you don’t have a charcoal grill, then a barbecue will work well.